Trying to decide if you should travel with a carry-on only or check a bag on your next trip? I’ve put together some guidelines I use to determine whether or not a checked bag is necessary! As well as tips when it comes to choosing your airline, and their baggage policies.

When it comes to travel, there is always the risk of the airline losing your bag, which is why I try to go carry-on only! If you are bringing a checked bag, I highly recommend throwing an Apple AirTag in there. For less than $30, you can have that peace of mind on every trip that you will know where your bag is at all times!

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When A Carry-On Is Better

Let me start off by saying that I am a big advocate of taking a carry-on only! Situations where I believe just taking a carry-on bag is better:

  • You are going away for 3 days or less (aka a short weekend trip).

  • You will be hopping around to multiple locations, not spending more than 3 days in each (ie a multi-stop Europe trip. Last thing you want is your bag getting lost on one of the many legs!)

  • You are going to visit a close friend. I say this because that usually means their closet = your closet when you’re there (and vice versa) so you should not need to pack as many clothes!

I’ll splurge on a nice hotel room, but when it comes to flights, I am so stubborn and never want to pay for anything extra.

I highly recommend getting yourself some packing cubes; these have changed the game for me! My brother got them for me for my birthday, and they made such a difference when I was packing for my most recent trip. Not to mention, my suitcase was a lot more organized.😂

When A Checked Bag Is Better

Although I would love to always be able to travel with just a carry-on, this is not always possible! Situations where I believe taking a checked bag is better:

  • You are planning to work remotely for an extended period of time (2+ weeks), and need to bring an external monitor.

  • You are going away for 5+ days to one location only.

  • You are going to a special event and need to take a lot of shoes and outfits (ie, a wedding – just make sure you put your first two nights of outfits in your carry-on!)

  • You have large liquids you need to bring.

It can also be very inconvenient to separate out all of your liquids, electronics, etc when going through security. Since you drop off your checked bag before security, that makes it a more appealing option if you have a lot of things you’d need to pull out to get through TSA.

Make Sure To Check Airline Policies

Now that most airlines have their own “budget” economy option, it is extra important to check the airline’s policies! Most of the budget economy options don’t even include a carry-on item, but only allow you to have a personal item. AKA a bag or backpack that fits underneath the seat in front of you. I have done this before when going to Hawaii, because everything I was packing was small!

Make sure to also check weight limits for carry-on bags and personal items. Many airlines, especially in Europe I’ve noticed, have weight maximums for carry-on bags, and will require you to pay to check your bag if it’s over the limit. All of these restrictions will be listed on the website; if you can’t find it, just google “[airline name] + baggage policy.”

I exclusively flew Southwest Airlines when I was working remotely and traveling around. Why? Because their fares include two FREE checked bags on every flight for every passenger. This is an unreal policy and can save you so much money if you need to check bags. 

How do you usually prefer to travel? Comment below! And be sure to follow along on Instagram for more travel tips and content!

💙mariss